Letters to the Editor, March 6

Tuesday

Mar 6, 2018 at 2:00 AMMar 7, 2018 at 6:49 AM

Kicking the can

I am deeply discouraged by the actions regarding recycling being proposed by Rogue Disposal and Recycling Inc. After all the years promoting recycling, it now seems we will be dragged back a few decades in our efforts to provide our children and grandchildren with a cleaner environment.

I understand few corporations can work successfully in debt (unless, of course, you’re the federal government), but just to hope that within a hundred years someone might come up with an answer to our wastefulness isn’t very helpful. Maybe if we consumed less we wouldn’t have so much excess waste.

Why can’t the packaging companies get together with the recycling companies to find a solution? What happened to compostable packaging?

If an Elon Musk can rocket a perfectly good Tesla into the asteroid belt, we should have better options than to just “dump it.” I am concerned those residents who have the small trash bins will be forced to trade up to the largest and turn in their red bins. Sadly, few people have the time to make trips to Bottle Drop or find a nearby Ray’s for non-refundable glass so to the dump it will go.

Richard Schroeder

Central Point

Accountability

The Jackson County Jail overcrowding issue results in bank robbers, drug dealers, burglars, car thieves, vagrants and the like to be booked and released back into our communities without being held accountable for their actions. The Jackson County Commissioners should be held accountable for their inaction on this issue.

The first priority of our elected commissioners is for the safety and well-being of citizens. Releasing criminals back into our community is putting all citizens at risk of being reoffended. Accountability is a deterrent to criminal activity only when it's applied; booking and releasing is not the answer.

Building a new jail will take over a decade to do; what's needed now is to have a temporary outdoor holding facility that can accommodate 300-500 offenders. Since public safety is the first priority, building this facility and hiring the needed personnel can be done by cutting dollars spent on less important issues. Recently, Medford was ranked number one for crime in Oregon.

City police departments and all citizens would appreciate ending book and release. During the day, inmates could be clearing the blackberries and trash along Bear Creek and our county roads.

Let's make Jackson County safe again.

Gordon Challstrom

Medford

Wyden's position on LNG

I write to correct a significant error in the paper’s coverage of Sen. Ron Wyden’s Jackson County town hall Feb. 22 in Medford.

The error concerns his history on the proposed LNG pipeline in Jordan Cove.

What Senator Wyden told the 200 people attending the town hall is what he has said consistently since the proposal arose seven years ago. He has worked — and continues to work — to ensure all sides in Oregon get a fair chance in this process to be heard on this proposal. As the senator said at the townhall, that means he will “not put his thumb on the scale” for either side — that all legal standards must be followed to the letter.

The most recent example of his work to ensure a fair process for everybody is his vocal opposition to the Trump administration’s effort to apply political influence on the process by decreeing the project would just get done, independent of the process.

As Senator Wyden said at the beginning of this process — and as he continues to say — he will pull out all the stops to make sure all rules are followed and that this decision is determined on the merits, not political influence.

Hank Stern

Oregon press secretary for U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden

Gun control

I just read that Sen. John Cornyn said that raising the legal age to buy a rifle (AR-15) to 21 may not "save lives" and doesn't get at the "root of the problem." I wonder if that logic would apply to purchasing nuclear bombs. What could possibly go wrong? One could argue tougher background checks would solve the problem. Oops, I forgot about the shooter in Nevada.

There is a lot of money that's preventing a solution to this problem. Money has a lot of power but it has no conscience. Money can lull the conscience to sleep but once you awaken it, the conscience will rise up and fight with far more power than you ever imagined. Right now my right fist is raised in the air and I am shouting, "Power to the students!"

George Stevens

Talent

Provide bigger cans

I think that former commingled items will now be thrown into our 35-gallon cans. We will then be forced into paying for the 65=gallon "garbage" cans. That costs us $13.15 more per month. That is just wrong.

I think Rogue Disposal should do a no-charge change-out of black lid, 65-gallon cans for the rest of this year as their recycle plans settle down. After all, they are now just passing their disposal costs to us, the customer. At the least, by customer request, it would be a PR move, on their part.

Dennis Patterson

Medford

Writer should lighten up

The Relationships article by Celia Rivenbark entitled, “Please stop asking if I have plans …” on Feb. 24 came across as more cynical than amusing.

Rivenbark writes well, and she has a point that some clerks can be a little too chatty. But it is clear she’s never worked in retail or with the public.

This kind of work can be boring, frustrating and even demeaning at times. The sales clerk, check-out person or food server works long hours on their feet performing redundant tasks with little to no feedback from customers. Yes, sometimes I don’t feel like conversation while making a purchase, but I certainly don’t take any benign questions personally, nor do I begrudge the salesperson for wanting to make a connection.

I suppose Rivenbark might have been exercising her right to be sardonic on the topic. But with the onslaught of depressing and downright frightening news available in our newspaper, “Please stop” was kind of a downer. I think “not wearing a bra for 48 straight hours” is a lovely weekend plan! And Rivenbark needs to lighten up.

C. Waddell

Ashland

Arming teachers

The armed guard at the Florida high school is being excused by some for not interfering with the shooter because he was not adequately armed with only a pistol. So logically all the teachers and guards would have to armed like a SWAT team member with an AK-47, body armor, a helmet and lots of bullets, be constantly be retrained to remain effective and, also, carry out their normal teaching duties.

Frank Hieber

Phoenix

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